Difference between Hide and Minimize

When an application is hidden, none of its windows are visible on the screen or in the Dock. If a visible application's window is minimized, a small picture of that window will be in the right-hand side of the Dock.

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It's really an individual thing, you have to try it and see what works best. Personally, I never use minimize but hide apps often.

Command h usually hides an app (although some, especially Adobe, use that keystroke for something else). When in an app hold down option-command then click the cursor anywhere on the desktop and you will jump to the Finder and all other apps will hide.

Kevin

Ok, I see the difference now. But can you help me
understand instances where I would want to use one
method over the other?

If you are using an application with several windows, you can minimize some, to reduce desktop clutter, and continue using the other windows.

An example of one of my very few uses for "Minimize"…

Launch Activity Monitor. From its "Window" menu choose "Show Floating CPU Window"/"Vertically". Position the slim window to the right of your disk icon(s), a space of not much use. I like to have that particular CPU indicator permanently there – there are are plenty of others, but this one is so easy to quickly glance at.

Now I sometimes want to look at the Activity Monitor main window, but I certainly don't want it permanently visible.
If I hide Activity Monitor I lose the CPU wndow – no good.
If I close the main AM window I have a bit of nuisance when I want to see it – click on the CPU window to bring AM to the front, then use a key combo or a menu – Nah! Too fiddly.
BUT…
If I Cmnd-M (minimize) the main AM window syphons itself down into that little icon in the dock, which doesn't bother me in the slightest…
a) leaving just the CPU window I want on permanent display,
b) a single click on that little icon brings up the AM main window on those occasions when I want to see something in it.

…exactly what I want!

G5 2.1GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8)

[Edit: Apologies – that "example" shoud have been in response to "polishedstaple".]



G5 2.1GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8)